Freedom strikes deal for Arizona paper sale

February 16, 2010

Freedom New Mexico

Freedom Communications filed a motion Tuesday with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware seeking approval of the sale of its Phoenix-area publications to 1013 Communications LLC, an affiliate of Thirteenth Street Media.

In a statement, Freedom said company officials hope a hearing will be held in early March and that the transaction can be completed shortly thereafter.

“We believe this transaction is in the best interests of our employees, customers and the communities we serve,” officials of the Irvine, Calif.-based media company said in the statement.

Thirteenth Street Media, based in Boulder, Colo., owned by Randy Miller, is the publisher of newspapers in suburban Tucson and Telluride, Colo.

Freedom Communications is also the parent company for the Clovis News Journal, Portales News-Tribune and Quay County Sun. The New Mexico properties are not connected to the proposed Arizona sale.